The months flew by, and Cygnetta was now fully grown. She was strong, willful and magnificent. It was autumn.

Cygnetta went to her parents and announced, ”Mother, Father, I love you dearly, but this lake is too small a world for me. I am going to migrate with the geese!”

Her parents recoiled in shock and fear. “You cannot go with the wild geese. They go to foreign lands, with strange creatures and dangers. They go where things are different!”

Cygnetta replied gently, “I must follow my spirit. I must go where the wild geese go.”

She nodded her beak to her parents in a gesture of farewell, and off she flew.

Her parents watched the arrow shooting through the autumn sky, with a small speck flying valiantly in the formation of larger birds. They watched until the geese were out of sight. Then they sighed, with sorrow

a little envy

and great relief.